Solomon Islanders are ocean people. We are not separate to our ocean: we are part of our ocean. It is reflected in our history, our culture, our traditions and in our day-to-day lives. We not only respect the plants, animals and fish of the sea but recognise our own role in maintaining the integrity of our ocean ecosystem and its importance to economy. Our marine resources are valued at over SBD2.5 billion per year.
This national ocean policy aims to protect and increase the value of resources of ocean and also the inherent value of the marine ecosystems and species upon which that wealth relies on. The Solomon Islands is one of the largest ocean states in the Pacific with an area of 1,589,477km2.Solomon Islands has a coastline of 9,880 km (WRI 2012) and a land area of about 30,407 km2. So land, in the Solomon Islands represents only 2% of the total size of Solomon Islands. The country is composed of about 1000 islands divided into nine provinces. More than 523,000 people live in the country with a population density that ranges from 4.5 people/km2 in Rennell and Bellona to 42 people/km2 in Central Province (SINSO 2009).
